Adoration of the Magi

Albrecht Dürer painted the Adoration of the Magi in 1504 for Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony. The three kings present gifts to the Christ child in a ruined classical setting, their elaborate robes contrasting with the humble stable. Dürer signed the work prominently on a stone block.

This painting shows Dürer's absorption of Italian Renaissance principles after his travels south. The architectural perspective, the monumentality of figures, and the rich color harmonies all reflect Italian influence. Yet the fine detail in faces, fabrics, and surfaces remains distinctively Northern.

Frederick the Wise originally displayed this altarpiece in his castle church at Wittenberg. The Uffizi acquired it in 1793.